Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to introduce a motion in the security cabinet to add "returning residents to the North" to the official war goals, a security official told N12 on Friday.
Netanyahu will put the motion to a vote on Sunday, the official said, adding that it was necessary to prepare for a long, costly war in the North.
Netanyahu reportedly held a limited meeting of the cabinet on Thursday night, during which he decided to move forward with the motion.
Adding a new official war goal requires the vote of the security cabinet. The current goals are the destruction of Hamas and the return of the remaining hostages from Gaza captivity.
Netanyahu has previously called the return of residents to the North a war goal, along with ensuring Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel.
Echoing Gallant
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant echoed this in a message published earlier this week, also calling to add the return of residents to the North as a war goal. He promised to put pressure on Netanyahu to officially adopt the new war goal, but it's unclear whether this influenced the prime minister's decision.
In the same message, Gallant promised to increase protective measures for schools in the North and South.
Pressure to resolve the fighting in the North has been building in particular because the school year started without the return of residents, marking the second school year to be harmed by the war.
Shortly after October 7, when Hamas invaded southern Israel, Hezbollah began firing rockets and drones on civilian and military assets in northern Israel. Since then, Israeli combined military forces had been exchanging blows with the Lebanon-based terror group, sparking fears of regional escalation.